1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to temporary removable covers or canopies for various watercrafts or boats, and more particularly relates to detachable and expendable weather protective shields or covers for use with military assault craft or similar non-military type watercraft to protect its occupants from undue water spray and other environmental factors. Some of the craft may be of the inflatable type.
2. Description of Prior Art.
The prior art teaches various detachable canopy and shelter arrangements for many types of watercraft and boats generally. Among those are the prior patents referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,832 issued to Montoya. Both the Montoya U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,832 and the Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,599 teach the use of releasably connectable mating strips of hooks and loops Velcro.RTM. fastener means for removably attaching portions of its flexible canopy members to their supports and/or to the gunwales or other areas of their boats, which is only one of the features in common with the present invention.
More specifically among the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 1,396,063 to Schmidt discloses a structure in which support ribbing for a canoe canopy is affixed to the gunwale of the canoe. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,829 to Adams he teaches a foldable life-boat cover having a rigid support ribbing fixed to the gunwales, as does Koontz, et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,409. U.S. Pat. No. 2,493,833 to Reynolds, U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,391 to Stark, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,832 to Montoya teach the use of various differently arranged removable bows or rib-like canopy support members to form a boat cover detachable framework which can be applied to and removed from the boat by one person.